Agapanthus plant named &#39;little galaxy

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Agapanthus  plant named ‘Little Galaxy’ characterized by winter-hardy, very compact habit with clean, lanceolate, medium-green foliage that goes dormant in the Michigan winter; single medium blue flowers on numerous, short stems producing rounded globes of flowering beginning about mid-July and with repeating new scapes into mid-September for about eight weeks.

Botanical classification: Agapanthus hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Little Galaxy’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(b)(6)

The first public disclosure of the claimed plant, in the form of awebsite to the public and email release to customers, was made byWalters Gardens, Inc. on Feb. 1, 2019. Since then Walters Gardens, Inc.printed a description and photograph in the “Walters Gardens 19-20Catalog” released on May 29, 2019 and began selling it to customers onJan. 6, 2020. Walters Gardens, Inc. obtained the new plant andinformation about the new plant directly from the inventor. No plants ofAgapanthus ‘Little Galaxy’ have been sold, in this country or anywherein the world, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been made, morethan one year prior the filing date of this application, and such saleor disclosure within one year was either derived directly or indirectlyfrom the inventor.

BACKGROUND AND ORIGIN OF THE PLANT

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Lily of the Nileplant, Agapanthus ‘Little Galaxy’ hereinafter also referred to as thenew plant or just the cultivar name, ‘Little Galaxy’. Agapanthus ‘LittleGalaxy’ was selected by the inventor in July of 2012 in a trial field ata wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA. The new plantoriginated from a controlled cross conducted by the inventor with thespecific intention to improve the garden worthiness, reduce plant size,expand color regimens and increase flowering period which were some ofthe criteria of further trials in the trial beds at the same nursery inZeeland, Mich. The female or seed parent was Agapanthus campanulatussubspecies patens ‘Kingston Blue’ (not patented) and the male or pollenparent was ‘Prolific Blue’ (not patented) crossed on Jul. 12, 2010. Thenew plant was selected as a single seedling from this cross and afterconfidential evaluations in a trial bed beginning in 2012 in Zeeland,Mich. and was assigned the breeder code H10-06-01 through the remainingtrial period.

The new plant has been asexually propagated by division and shoot tiptissue culture at the same wholesale nursery in Zeeland, Mich. since2014 with all resultant asexually propagated plants having retained allthe same unique traits as the original plant. Agapanthus ‘Little Galaxy’has proven to be stable and reproduces true to type in successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

The most similar known Lily of the Nile cultivars are: the female parent‘Kingston Blue’, male parent ‘Prolific Blue’ and ‘Lapis Lazuli’ (notpatented). ‘Kingston Blue’ is taller in habit and less winter hardy, andhas flowers that have a more bluish-purple coloration. ‘Prolific Blue’is equally winter hardy, has a taller in habit and has a moregrayed-blue flower color. ‘Lapis Lazuli’ is taller in habit with fewerflowers per pseudo-umbel. ‘Galaxy Blue’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 31,421 isequally winter hardy, has a much taller habit and the flowers tend tohave slightly more purplish tint that lighten with maturity.

Agapanthus ‘Little Galaxy’ differs from all other Lily of the Nileplants known to the applicant, by the combination of the followingtraits:

-   -   1. Medium blue flowers with darker blue center veins;    -   2. Short overall habit with numerous flower stems;    -   3. Long season of bloom.    -   4. Winter-hardy to USDA zone 6, compact, clean, medium-green        foliage that is deciduous and goes dormant in the winter;    -   5. Flowering begins about mid-July with excellent coverage and        sending new scapes into mid-September for about five to eight        weeks;

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photograph of the new plant demonstrates the overall appearance ofthe plant, including the unique traits. The colors are as accurate asreasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum,temperature, source and direction may cause the appearance of minorvariation in color.

FIG. 1 shows an eight-year-old plant in peak flower during mid-summer ina full-sun trial garden in Zeeland, Mich.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flower and buds.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2015edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except wherecommon dictionary terms are used. The new plant, Agapanthus ‘LittleGalaxy’, has not been observed under all possible environments. Thephenotype may vary slightly with different environmental conditions,such as temperature, light, fertility, moisture and maturity levels, butwithout any change in the genotype. The following observations and sizedescriptions are of an eight-year-old plant in a sunny research gardenbed in Zeeland, Mich. with and supplemental water and fertilizer.

-   Botanical classification: Agapanthus hybrid;-   Parentage: Female or seed parent is A. campanulatus ‘Kingston Blue’;    male or pollen parent is A.    ‘Prolific Blue’;-   Propagation: Division of the rhizome and shoot tip tissue culture;-   Growth rate: Moderate;-   Crop time: About 12 to 15 weeks to flower starting in spring in a    3.8 liter container from vernalized one-year-old plant;-   Rooting habit: Primary roots thick and fleshy, secondary roots    fibrous;-   Root color: Nearest RHS 159C depending on soil type;-   Plant shape and habit: Winter-hardy herbaceous perennial with    pseudo-umbel inflorescence; about 95 flowering stems surrounded by    acaulescent foliage forming a dense mound;-   Plant size: Foliage height about 32.0 cm tall from soil line to the    top of the leaves, about 66.0 cm tall to highest inflorescence and    about 80.0 cm wide at the widest point at the top of the    inflorescences;-   Leaves: Linear; acaulescent; deciduous: bi-ranked; entire; glabrous    and glaucous both abaxial and adaxial; sessile; apex acute, base    sheathing scape; to about 39.0 cm long and 8.0 mm across, average    about 28.0 cm long and about 8.0 mm across; about 12 per division;    attitude upright becoming outwardly and arching;-   Leaf color: Abaxial and adaxial base nearest RHS NN155D; mature and    young adaxial nearest RHS N138A and abaxial nearest RHS N138C;-   Veins: Parallel; not significant; abaxial midrib costate, about 2.0    mm across and color same as surrounding leaf tissue;-   Inflorescence: Pseudo-umbel initially sheathed in two bracts; broad    oblate; about 95 cm across and 75 cm tall; flowers opening from the    sides first and then toward the center;-   Bracts: Deltoid; dehiscent; medium-length acuminate apex; truncate    base; scarious; to about 12.0 mm across near middle and 32.0 mm    long;-   Bract color: Variable; nearest RHS 165D and RHS 165B; anthocyanin    coloration absent;-   Flowers: Funnelform; single, with two sets of three tepals; about 40    to 75 per scape; upward and outwardly facing; about 30.0 mm across    and 22.0 mm deep; individually lasting for about four to five days,    individual inflorescence lasting about two weeks; flowers remain    effective from late-July repeating into mid-September for    approximately five to eight weeks in Zeeland, Mich.;-   Flower fragrance: None detected;-   Buds one to two days prior to opening: Ellipsoidal with rounded apex    and base; about 16.0 mm long and about 6.0 mm in diameter at widest    point with near apex;-   Bud color one day from opening: Apical and along tepal margins    nearest RHS 96A, slightly lighter proximally nearest RHS 96C toward    middle with base nearest RHS 96B;-   Tepals: 2 sets of 3; both sets identical; open to nearly flat face;    perianth tube length short;-   Inner tepals: Glabrous; obtuse; rounded apex; base attenuate, fused    in proximal 8.0 mm; margin entire; width at base about 2.0 mm; about    9.0 mm across at widest point and about 22.0 mm long;-   Outer tepals: Glabrous; obtuse; rounded apex; base attenuate, fused    in proximal 8.0 mm; margin entire; width at base about 2.0 mm; about    7.0 mm across at widest point and about 22.0 mm long;-   Tepal color adaxial: Both sets identical; distally between RHS 97A    and RHS 97B with midrib nearest RHS 96A, basal 4.0 mm lighter than    RHS 97D;-   Tepal color abaxial: Both sets identical; nearest RHS 97B; base and    midrib between RHS 99A and RHS 96A;-   Pedicel: Cylindrical; average about 30.0 mm long and 1.0 mm    diameter; upright and outwardly;-   Pedicel color: Nearest RHS 146B blushed with nearest RHS 187A;-   Peduncle: Glabrous; becoming terete, hollow in maturity; usually one    per division; erect; to about 6.0 mm diameter at base, average 63.0    cm tall; extending above foliage;-   Peduncle color: Nearest RHS 145A proximally, distally between RHS    145A and RHS 146D, center portion between RHS 146B and RHS 146C;    anthocyanin coloration absent;-   Gynoecium: Single; tricarpelled; about 18.0 mm long;    -   -   Style.—Single, about 9.0 mm long, 0.7 mm diameter; color            nearest RHS NN155D.        -   Stigma.—About 0.3 mm across; color nearest RHS NN155D.        -   Ovary.—Superior; ellipsoidal; about 6.0 mm long and 3.0 mm            diameter near middle with an acute apex and truncate base;            color nearest RHS 145C.-   Androecium: Six;    -   -   Filaments.—Six; adnate to inner corolla in proximal 6.0 mm            and free in distal 10.0 mm; about 0.5 mm in diameter;            arcuate slightly upward distally; moderately exserted beyond            corolla; color between RHS 95D and RHS 92D.        -   Anthers.—Oblong; basifixed, longitudinal; about 3.0 mm long            and 1.0 mm wide; color nearest RHS 103A.        -   Pollen.—Color nearest RHS 151D.-   Fruit: Oblong ellipsoidal; non-fleshy, dehiscent, tri-loculicidal    capsule with three distinct lobes; about 20.0 mm long and 7.0 mm in    across; color while maturing nearest RHS N144D and at dehiscence    variable between RHS 164C and RHS 1658;-   Seed: Up to about 18 per capsule; flattened single wing with embryo    situated near one end; about 8.0 mm long, about 3.0 mm wide and    about 1.0 mm thick at embryo; color nearest RHS 202A;-   Disease and pest resistance and tolerance: ‘Little Galaxy’ shows    typical Lily of the Nile resistant to deer and rabbits but has not    shown resistance to diseases and pests beyond that common for Lily    of the Nile plants. The plant grows best and shows best coloration    with plenty of moisture, adequate drainage, but is able to tolerate    some drought when mature and direct sun without leaf burn when    provided sufficient water.

Hardiness at least from USDA zone 6 through 11. The new plant is usefulfor landscaping en masse, as a single specimen or small groups, as acontainer plant or as a cut flower.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct ornamental Agapanthus plant named ‘LittleGalaxy’ as herein described and illustrated.